Father of Kenyan born Ethiopian Airlines pilot speaks
Dr Getachew Tessema, father of Yared Getachew, captain of the Ethiopian Airlines plane that crashed killing 157 people, has revealed that he cannot find the remains of his son.
In an interview with Sky News, Tessema stated that he was hoping to take home some remains for closure but it seems that will not happen.
“There are no bones…there is not even a skull. Everybody is just dust. So I have nothing to send even for his mum.
“I was hoping I would get something and take it to where he came from but there is nothing.
“We never expected this to happen. Well. Sometimes you cannot change destiny,” he said.
The late Getachew was just 29-years-old but had 8000 flying hours under his belt and was described by many as a brilliant young man.
He also had roots in Kenya as his father is an Ethiopian while his mother, Rayan Shapi, is a Kenyan. Both are retired dentists.
Having excelled in school, his dad convinced him to go back to Ethiopia to study and he got further training in the United States of America.
Tessema requested the airline to set aside a section and publish names of all those who perished in the crash as a sign of respect.
“Many young people perished, many nationalities…even children. I am appealing to the airlines to put the names of everyone who died in the crash,” he said.
